Mexico may lift visa requirement for tourists from Ecuador

Andes).- María Landázuri, vice minister of Human Mobility in Ecuador, informed Friday that authorities from such country and Mexico will settle a visa wavering agreement for Ecuadorians that travel to the North American country for tourism, 90 days, a decision she considers “fair and necessary.”

“We expect to settle this process in the following days, it has taken many months but it seeks to defend Ecuadorian rights that arrive in Mexico and viceversa,” Landázuri affirmed during a press conference in the Foreign Ministry.

She explained that this is a joint process that started 2014, after the commitment made by presidents of Ecuador, Rafael Correa and Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto during the visit of the latter to the country. The agreement would settle and come into force “I hope (…) on July,” Landázuri affirmed.

THINKING OF MOVING TO ECUADOR – READ THIS BOOK

The Ecuadorian consul in Mexico, María Sol Corral, indicated that visa wavering for Mexican citizens is an act of political reciprocity and added that the government’s purpose is to increase commercial relations and the flow of tourists.

According to figures of the official, in 2013, 36,900 Ecuadorians visited Mexico and in 2014, the figures increased to 52,970 while the opening of commercial airlines and direct flights allowed a 46% increase in the number of tourists.

andes.info.ec reported the lifting of visa requirements is a great advantage for Ecuadorians, starting from payment exemption, paperwork and it allows better influx, not only of religious tourists but everybody. We also want to strengthen commercial relations not only from Mexico to Ecuador, but from Ecuador to Mexico,” Corral indicated.

Ecuador reduces risky migration of unaccompanied children that aim at family reunification

Vice minister Landázuri also referred to the reduction in the number of children that unsafely immigrate to the United States, from 679 in 2014 to 86 between January and May 2015.

According to what she explained, this situation was possible to control due to the intense government campaign (called “Say no to risky immigration”) which “fortunately has results already.”

The vice minister thanked Central American countries for the joint work in the protection of children that travel in situations of vulnerability, as victims of human trafficking with the aim of family reunification. In order to get to the United States, Ecuadorians have to travel to Central America and Mexico.

On the other hand, Humberto Cordero, undersecretary in charge of the Ecuadorian immigrant community, affirmed that the prevention work in families and schools and the coordination among different ministries like Education and Economic and Social Inclusivity (MIES for its acronym in Spanish). Read Article